An acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin (hereinafter, referred to as “ABS resin”) has superior mechanical properties and chemical resistance, and exhibits excellent colorability, machinability, and the like. Accordingly, the acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin is broadly used in interior and exterior components of electrical and electronic products, vehicles, small toys, furniture, construction materials, and the like. A method of preparing an ABS resin comprises emulsion polymerizing a butadiene monomer to prepare polybutadiene rubber latex, graft copolymerizing the polybutadiene rubber latex with an aromatic vinyl monomer and a vinyl cyan monomer to prepare resin latex, dehydrating the resin latex using a dehydrator after agglomerating the resin latex, and drying the dehydrated resin latex using a dryer, thereby obtaining an ABS resin having a general pellet type. The obtained pellet-typed ABS resin is generally processed into a desired type by extruding and/or injection molding with styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer resin (hereinafter, referred to as “SAN resin”) prepared through solution polymerization.
However, in most methods of preparing an ABS resin, emulsion polymerization using a general emulsifier such as rosin, fat, or the like is employed. Accordingly, after polymerization, impurities such as an emulsifier, an electrolyte, and the like, and monomer remainders remain, and, as such, surface clearness and gloss are limited due to gas generation during a high speed injection process and there are problems such as mold deposition and the like.
Therefore, to improve the problems, a method of preparing an ABS resin using a mass polymerization method is partially used. However, an ABS resin prepared by mass polymerization exhibits reduced gloss and has limitations on obtaining a high-impact thermoplastic resin.
Recently, there are intense efforts to improve quality of household appliances such as smart TVs, air conditioners, and the like, and diversify designs thereof. Development of materials corresponding to such efforts is urgently required. In addition, development of materials having superior thermal stability and not exhibiting mold deposition, during an injection process and a high-speed injection process for mass production, is required. Furthermore, development of environmentally friendly low emission materials is required.